Essebsi to Haftar: “I can be a mediator among warring factions in Libya”

“The stability of Libya is a necessary condition for the stability of Tunisia,” Essebsi said, calling on Libyans to “overcome their differences” and “to work to build a state.” (Photo: Internet)

Libyan military strongman and commander of Operation Dignity Khalifa Haftar visited Tunisia on Monday for talks with President Beji Caid Essebsi, who offered to act as a mediator between rival Libyan factions.

“The stability of Libya is a necessary condition for the stability of Tunisia,” Essebsi said, calling on Libyans to “overcome their differences” and “to work to build a state”.

In a statement, he said Tunisia did not want to “interfere in Libya’s internal affairs” but rather to “facilitate dialogue between the different components of the Libyan people”. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

The head of a rival government, backed by Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army which controls much of the country’s east and south, on Sunday urged the international community to recognise his administration, AFP said.

Essebsi’s office said on Monday Haftar had expressed his “gratitude to the Tunisian president for his continuing efforts to reach a settlement,” AFP indicated.